People who eat a lot of vegetables for their health. While increasing dietary fiber intake is good, there may be concerns about insufficient protein intake. Consuming vegetables with radish greens can help alleviate these worries because they are rich in protein despite being vegetables.

Among dried radish greens, domestically produced dried radish greens are especially rich in dietary fiber and protein.

As a result of a comparative analysis of the characteristics of dried radish greens (mukeun-siraegi) products manufactured and distributed in Korea, China, and Japan, it was found that Korean dried radish greens contained the highest levels of dietary fiber and protein. The Rural Development Administration analyzed the nutritional components of a total of 78 types of dried radish greens, including 41 from Korea, 23 from China, and 14 from Japan.

The dietary fiber content was 33% in Korea, 29% in China, and 27% in Japan, while the protein content was 21% in Korea, 19% in China, and 17% in Japan. Additionally, vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, kale, and arugula also tend to be relatively rich in protein. Spinach contains about 2.9g of protein per 100g, kale about 3.3g, and broccoli approximately 3g.

Even if you eat vegetables rich in protein, caution is necessary. A diet focused mainly on vegetables can easily lead to deficiencies in nutrients such as minerals, calcium, and protein. These nutrients should be supplemented by consuming seaweed, nuts, legumes, and other foods in a balanced manner. Otherwise, there is a risk of decreased bone density. A domestic study investigated the bone density of 67 male and female college students who only follow vegetarian diets and 143 male and female college students with a typical diet. The results showed that the average bone density of vegetarian male students was 101.73, and that of female students was 84.15. These figures are lower than those of non-vegetarian male students (107.43) and female students (89.64). The proportion of students with below-normal bone density and those showing signs of osteopenia was higher among vegetarian college students of both genders.

There is another thing that can become deficient when fiber intake increases. That is water. Since dietary fiber has the property of absorbing water, if you do not drink enough water, your stool becomes hard. Eating fiber to prevent constipation can actually make bowel movements more difficult. According to a research team at the University of Arizona, if the daily fiber intake exceeds 50 grams for an average adult, side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal bloating may occur. According to the '2020 Korean Nutrient Intake Standards' announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the adequate intake of dietary fiber for adult men is 25-30 grams, and for adult women, it is 20 grams.

[Source: Health Chosun]